


Blood Rites

by AXEe



Category: Supergirl (TV 2015)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Human, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Alternate Universe - No Powers, Alternate Universe - Vampire, F/F, FBI agent Astra, Halloween prompt, Small town cop Alex, general danvers monthly
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-10-10
Updated: 2017-10-16
Packaged: 2019-01-15 13:27:31
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 11
Words: 10,441
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12321972
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AXEe/pseuds/AXEe
Summary: Murder isn't exactly rare in Midvale.   But nothing like this.  And Deputy Alex Danvers is about to discover that the things that gobumpin the night are all too real...And that they take the form of an alluring FBI agent named 'Astra Inze'.





	1. The Body and the Fed

**Author's Note:**

> Another GD Monthly Two fic, Halloween prompt. Enjoy :=)

******

It was raining, lightly so, but still raining. Deputy Alex Danvers of the Midvale Sherriff’s Department shivered and wiped the droplets off her brow as she peered down at the dead body. Maybe it was the dim, flickering bulb from the alley and the dark, moonless night, but this one creeped her out. Midvale was a small town, so small that some people didn’t even bother locking their doors at night. But for the last two weeks they had done more than just lock their doors.

Because two weeks prior, a local man, Peter Malvern—who by all accounts wasn’t the most likable person in town—had been found dead in his car outside the local, unofficial brothel. At first the Sheriff, Hank Henshaw, had suspected that perhaps Malvern had gotten rough with one of the girls and she’d fought back, but no. For one thing, according to local Madame Veronica Sinclair, Malvern wasn’t a client, at least not a regular one, and secondly, and most disturbing, had been just _how_ Malvern had been killed

Almost all of the blood had been drained from his body in a very short amount of time, reason: unknown.

Murder, although rare, wasn’t entirely uncommon in Midvale sadly, but most of those deaths were accidents, bar brawls gone one step too far, an attempted mugging or robbery or carjacking gone wrong, but nothing like this. According to the coroner, Susan Vasquez, in order to drain the blood from Malvern’s body required sophisticated planning and effort, if anything the killer would have needed to restrain Malvern long enough to drain the blood.

Which meant that the killing, even if unintentional, had been planned. And, to make matters worse, he wasn’t the first. Just three days later another body had been found on the beach, a woman this time, same MO as Malvern. Almost all of the blood gone from the body, and no sign of anyone else.

Alex nervously shifted from foot to foot “Is it like the others?” she asked

Vasquez sighed as she stood up and snapped of her latex gloves “Yes, ma’am,” she stood up, snapping off the other glove as she waved to the paramedics to load the body into the van “I’ll know when I get him on the table,” she continued “but, so far, just like the others; drained of almost all the blood in his body”

“Damn it,” Alex sighed “that means it’s a serial killer”

Vasquez sighed “Looks like it, ma’am”

Alex looked up as a car suddenly drove up, a rental, she noticed. A woman got out of the driver’s seat, seeming unconcerned with the drizzle as she walked up to the perimeter, and Alex felt her stomach do a flip. The woman was tall and lithe, moving like a cat, with long dark hair with a prominent streak of white in it, which stood out in stark contrast to her otherwise dark, curly hair. She was dressed in a simple pair of black slacks with a matching blazer and a grey shirt. A pair of sturdy-looking boots on her feet crunched on the gravel as she approached.

“Who’s in charge here?” the woman asked as she stopped at the perimeter. Alex shivered, the woman’s voice was husky, smoky, drawing her in like the proverbial Siren’s call

Alex shakily held up a hand “I am, Deputy Alex Danvers. Can I help you?”

The woman smirked, her grey-green eyes twinkling “I certainly hope so,” she replied. She held up a badge “Astra Inze, FBI,” she introduced herself “I’m sorry to have to tell you this, Deputy, but you’ve got a serial killer in your town”

******

“Where is he?” Alex demanded as she stormed into the Sheriff’s Office

“He’s in a meeting,” another Deputy, Lucy, replied “Alex—wait! You can’t go in there!” she called out as Alex roughly threw the door to the Sheriff’s office

Hank Henshaw looked up as the door violently banged against the wall with a loud, deep _thud_ “Deputy Danvers, won’t you come in?” he drawled sarcastically. He gestured to the other occupant of the room “I hear that you and Agent Inze have already met,” he remarked as the FBI agent stood up and politely offered her hand, which Alex refused to take “I’ve already given Agent Inze my assurances that she’ll have our _full_ cooperation for the duration of this investigation” Hank added

Alex looked at him past Agent Inze’s arm “Can we talk?” she asked “ _alone?_ ”

Agent Inze merely shrugged “Its fine with me, I need to find a hotel anyway,” she grabbed her overcoat, absently slinging it over her arm as she headed to the door “Hank? Nice seeing you again” she nodded

“Likewise” Hank nodded.

As soon as the door shut, Alex whirled on him “What the hell, Hank?” she demanded “why are the feds walking all over my case?”

“Alex, we don’t have the resources to handle a case like this,” Hank reminded her “this is not National City,” he sighed and picked up a file holding it out to her “besides,” he added “from what agent Inze tells me, this is one case we may be better off passing onto the Bureau”

Opening the file, Alex felt her stomach twist. There had been dozens of victims from across the country, going as far east as Metropolis it seemed and even Gotham City. The killer—or, even worse to contemplate, _killers_ —had been steadily making their way west, finally reaching California just last month, killing at last one person in National City before coming even further west to Midvale on the coast. The victims all ranged in age, gender, social status, there was nothing linking them, none of them had known each other it seemed. The only they all shared was the manner in which they’d been killed

Exsanguination

And even that wasn’t strictly the same either, some of the victims had clear evidence on their bodies that they’d been tortured either before or during the time their blood was being drained. According to the file, FBI psychologists believed that it might be the work of a group of killers, such as a cult, or a single killer obsessed with ritual.

“I think I’m going to be sick” Alex groaned, passing the file back to Hank, who put a comforting hand on her shoulder, squeezing gently

“I’m assigning you to work with Agent Inze personally,” he explained, holding up a hand to stop her protest “I know you don’t like her, but if we’re going to stop this killer—or, worse, killers, we’re going to need her help”

Alex shivered as she remembered the pictures in the file, then nodded

“All right” she murmured

“Get some sleep,” Hank advised “you look like shit”

Alex smirked, but frowned, remembering something “Have you met her before?” she asked “because it seemed like she knew you”

“We’ve met a few times,” Hank nodded. He frowned, looking grim “the last time I saw her was in London…a long time ago” he explained…


	2. Cult

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Double update! (trigger warning for mention of cults)

******

Alex didn’t see Agent Inze the next day until evening, but she did talk to her over the phone. Somehow hearing the other woman’s voice still made her shiver in a confusing, but oh so pleasant way.

Waiting at the arranged meeting place—the local bar—Alex suddenly felt like she was waiting for a date. She didn’t know _why_ , Agent Inze was a fed, the kind of people who muscled small-town cops like her to the sidelines and not only took all the credit for solving the crime, but usually played down the contributions the local cops made.

Taking another sip of her beer, Alex nearly choked on it as Agent Inze stepped inside the bar clad in only a pair of worn blue jeans and a black t-shirt and sneakers. Quickly spotting Alex she gave a little wave of acknowledgment as she came over

“Sorry I’m meeting you so late, Deputy,” she apologized as she sat down “but I must still be on D.C. time, I slept most of the day” she explained

“That’s fine,” Alex replied, pleased that her voice didn’t squeak out like a teenage boy’s “so,” she set her beer down and leaned forward “anything else that you can tell me about these killings?”

“Not much to tell,” Agent Inze shrugged, signaling to the bartender “most of what I know is already in the file I gave your boss,” she explained as a waitress came over and set down another beer, which Agent Inze took a long draught from, ending it with a deep, drawn out sigh which sounded downright erotic to Alex’s ears

‘ _You need to get laid Danvers’_ she thought

“Although,” Agent Inze picked up “there is one thing that wasn’t in the files I thought you should know”

“Oh?” Alex asked

“Hmm,” Agent Inze took another sip from her beer “one of the victims from National City was found dead in a stolen car out in the desert”

“So?” Alex questioned “our first victim was found in a car outside the local brothel”

“Yes,” Agent Inze nodded “but was yours found with the all windows taped over from the inside?”

“The inside?”

Agent Inze nodded “Hmm, NCPD first thought that the victim had been trying to repaint the car and had passed out and suffocated from the fumes. _But_ —”

“…if he was going to repaint the car why would he tape up the windows from the inside?” Alex finished “in fact, why would he still be inside the car?” she added

“Exactly,” Agent Inze nodded “and you saw the pictures I’m assuming?” Alex nodded, grimacing “so, whoever is doing this isn’t just doing it for the hell of it. There’s a purpose to it, a reason”

Alex nodded slowly, her beer forgotten “Your files said that an FBI shrink thought that we were dealing with a cult of some kind?”

“That’s the prevailing theory, yes,” Agent Inze nodded “and the one I’m working on for the moment. Until we can come up with something better”

Alex frowned, her distrust of the other woman dissipating in the face of a mutual threat “Here’s what I don’t get,” she began “how did the killer drain the blood from the victims?”

“Well, our people think that they were injected or otherwise drugged with some kind of very strong anesthetic,” Agent Inze began “in fact, our own MEs seem to think that was actually killed them, at least some of them anyway, and the blood was drained out of their bodies afterwards”

“But why take the blood?” Alex wondered “and why so much of it?”

“Traditionally, many ancient cultures saw blood as ‘life force’ if you will,” Agent Inze explained “the Maya and the Aztecs believed that by sacrificing a person to the sun god they’d ensure that the sun would rise the next morning. Another theory is somebody who’s a big fan of Bram Stoker”

“So…what? Vampire cultists?” Alex asked skeptically

Agent Inze shrugged “It’s not as weird as it sounds,” she began “Charles Manson convinced his followers to commit horrific murders and then carve a Nazi swastika into their foreheads. Thirty-nine members of the Heaven’s Gate group all committed mass suicide because they believed that they’d all be taken aboard an alien spaceship if they did,” she shrugged again “let’s be honest here, Deputy. A _person_ is smart and rational, but _people_ on the other hand are dumb, panicky animals who’ll follow any idiot with even the tiniest scrap of charisma”

“So we’re dealing with a cult” Alex sighed

“Looks that way,” Agent Inze sighed, finishing her beer “well, sorry to keep you up,” she said as she stood up “I’m sure you have someone to get home to”

“Fraid not,” Alex smirked, she held out her hand “can’t believe I’m going to say this, but, it’s going to be nice working with you, Agent”

“Likewise,” Agent Inze replied with a smile, shaking Alex’s hand, her own hand was icy cold from the beer Alex assumed “and it’s ‘Astra’,” she replied “only my boss calls me ‘agent’.”

With a smirk, she pulled back and walked out

Leaving Alex breathless…

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Disturbing historical fact: The 'Heaven's Gate' group is a real group. The group gained national media attention when, on March 26th 1997, the bodies of thirty-eight members of the group, including its leader and co-founder Marshall Applewhite, were all found dead from a mass suicide in a rented mansion outside San Diego, California. The group believed that by killing themselves that they would be able to 'evacuate' the Earth and ascend to a 'next level of human evolution', Marshall Applewhite it seems, even believed himself to be a reincarnation of Jesus Christ.
> 
> Even more disturbing is the fact the group still exists--at least on-line--as of 2017 a website is still run by two members who will answer any questions you may have about the cult
> 
> Creepy


	3. Miasma

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Update time! Enjoy! :=)

******

The Midvale Cemetery was over a hundred years old and in desperate need of funds to maintain it. But, unfortunately, the relatives of the deceased had almost all joined their departed dead, depriving the cemetery of much-needed funds. Ten years ago the town made plans to exhume the bodies and move them to a newer cemetery being built on an adjacent hill.

For now, until the new cemetery could be built, the old cemetery was declared closed and off-limits. The gates were padlocked and warning signs erected, each with various ominous statements such as ‘TRESPASSSERS WILL BE PROSECUTED’, ‘KEEP OUT BY ORDER OF THE CITY COUNCIL’ and others which warned of various health and safety hazards, everything from being injured by a falling tombstone, to even being at risk of contamination from a decomposing corpse.

All of these signs, combined the leaning and broken old tombstones, made for a truly frightening atmosphere when seen after dark. The unsettling atmosphere was further enhanced by the thick mist which suddenly rolled through the gates, swirling and slithering in an almost-intelligent fashion.

Slowly, the mist coalesced, taking shape and form, the mist solidifying into a human figure.

Looking around, Astra Inze idly rolled her shoulders and began to walk towards one of the mausoleums off in the distant, idly reading a few of the epitaphs on the tombstones as she passed. Pausing as one named jumped out

Jeremiah Danvers  
1969—2006  
Beloved Farther and Husband  
He Will Be Deeply Missed

Astra sighed, even though the action in and of itself served no purpose for her, as she reached out and traced her fingers across the name. Stooping, she dug some of the overgrown weeds away to reveal the rest of the inscription

He Leaves a Wife and Daughter  
To Mourn His Passing

“I’m sorry, Alex” Astra sighed into the dark silence of the cemetery. Her heart, such as it was, bleed for the young woman. Ironic, she thought, a creature without a heartbeat, without a breath of life in its body probably felt more for this woman than anyone else did.

But then again, she always did feel more for others…

******

_The air was foul, the stench of death and decay swirled around Astra as she sank to her knees, too weak to stand_

_“Please,” she whispered, she felt so tired, so weak, her vision blurred “please…my family…you promised…”_

_A gong clanged out in the distance as the first rays of sunlight peered over the horizon. The gong clanged out again_

_“Bring out your dead!” a tired voice called out with the gong “bring out your dead!”_

_“Please,” Astra tried again “my sister…my niece…you said you’d help them”_

_The other woman nodded “I did, and I have. As promised I have spared them from this_ miasma _. And you must uphold your end of the bargain,” she held out her wrist, easily cutting through the flesh with her fingernail. Blood, thick and dark oozed out of the wound as she offered the limb to Astra’s lips “drink,” she hissed “drink, and be reborn, daughter of In-ze…”_

******

_Hours later, Astra would awake to find herself trapped, pinned, in a small space, wood walls pressed down on her sides and as she banged on the small ceiling above her, calling out for help, she suddenly realized just where she was._

_A coffin_

_Screaming in utter terror, she suddenly found herself tearing through the wood and earth with a strength that amazed her, emerging from the ground to find the same woman standing over her grave_

_“Welcome, Astra,” she purred “how are you enjoying your newfound gifts?” she asked_

_“My family,” Astra struggled out of the small hole she’d made and sprinted across the field to the house, her feet flying across the terrain with frightening speed. Finally reaching the house, she frantically pounded on the door “Alura? Sister? It’s Astra!”_

_But no answer came from within. The house was eerily silent. As were all the other houses up and down the lane. No lights shone in the widows, no smoke billowed from the chimneys. Just silence._

_Feeling anxiety grip her, Astra gently turned the latch. The door slowly creaked open._

_And Astra recoiled at what she saw. Her sister. Her niece. Her family…_

_Dead_

_No plague had done this. No miasma. Alura Zorel and her daughter Kara had both been murdered. Their throats ripped out, the blood drained from their very bodies_

_“You appear shocked,” a voice said from behind her “is this not what you asked? That I spare your sister and her daughter from this black death?”_

_Astra slowly turned, finding that same woman now standing behind her. The woman who had offered salvation from the plague to some. The woman who had only called herself ‘Luthor’_

_“You!” Astra lunged, but the other woman suddenly seemed to dissolve into mist, Astra falling through the cloud to land on the ground. And that was when she noticed it_

_She could not feel her heartbeat. Her lungs did not burn or gasp for breath. And her skin was as cold as ice to the touch_

_“What have you done to me?!!” she demanded as the mist swirled around her almost mockingly_

_“I’ve remade you,” Luthor’s voice taunted from the mist “made you better. No longer can God by the only One who can create life!” she hissed_

_“You killed them! You murdered them!” Astra raged_

_“No!_ You _killed them!” the voice hissed “you made the choice, you accepted the terms,” the voice cackled “besides, is this not better? A quick death rather than a slow, agonizing sickness? But I spared you, I gave you new life. Look!”_

_Astra turned, finding a window behind her and saw, in place of her own reflection…._

_Nothing…_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> "Miasma" comes from an old word meaning "foul air". During the time that the black plague was ravaging Europe, many people--lacking modern medical knowledge--believed that the Black Death was caused by 'bad air' and if didn't breathe it or weren't exposed to it you'd be spared, one common 'treatment' was to surround yourself with burning fires to  
> 'burn away' the bad air. In a somewhat ironic twist they were somewhat right, as diseases or viruses which become airborne can make the air 'bad' and all that heat may have actually sterilized the air


	4. Kill Nine, Remove the Sign

******

Another day came and went and another body turned up later the next night. Alex groaned as she shuffled forward on tired feet, pausing at the sight of Astra already standing there, seemingly waiting for her

“How’d you get here so fast?” Alex asked as she slipped under the crime scene tape

“Word travels fast in a small town,” Astra shrugged as they began walking side-by-side to the crime scene “people see an FBI agent they want answers. Also, your co-worker, Lucy Lane called me,” she explained “she’s very cute by the way” she added

“She’s married” Alex told her

Astra smirked “I know, I met her husband, cute guy. Winn was it?”

“That’s him,” Alex nodded as they stopped at the corpse “ugh” Alex grimaced

“Another tortured one,” Astra sighed as she stooped and examined the body with a practiced detachment “anyone you know?” she asked

“Maxwell Lord,” Alex replied “local businessman”

“He have any enemies?” Astra asked

Alex scoffed “Only about half the town,” she explained “half the town loved him, thought he walked on water, and the other half hated his guts”

“Did anyone hate him enough to do _this_ to him?” Astra asked, gesturing to the state of the body. In addition to having been drained of almost all of the blood in his body, Maxwell Lord it seemed had been crucified, metal spikes had been driven into his hands and feet, staking him to the earth, while a large, ritualistic circle had been drawn around him, strange, bizarre, ancient-looking symbols carved into the earth and into Lord’s face and bare chest

“No,” Alex breathed, feeling her stomach twist “I think I’m going to be sick” she groaned, lurching away from the scene to find a bucket.

As Alex stumbled away, Astra turned, sensing a familiar presence. Quietly excusing herself, she slipped past the crime scene towards a clump of trees nearby, finding a lone woman in a blue dress leaning against a tree, watching the procession of the local cops with an almost-amused air

“Indigo” Astra growled as she approached

“Hello, Astra,” the woman purred “still playing with your food I see” she commented

“They’re not food,” Astra growled “not to me”

Indigo sighed “And that’s where you’re wrong. They’re the prey, we’re the predators. It’s simple Darwinism”

“Darwin never envisioned things like us” Astra growled

“I know. I met him,” Indigo replied flippantly “nice guy”

“Did you do this?” Astra asked point blank

“No,” Indigo sighed “not my style, I only kill to eat, you know that. But I can tell you that whoever’s doing this has one hell of a plan in mind”

“What plan?” Astra demanded

“You know,” Indigo purred “you remember, when we first met, back in…where was it…Germany?”

“France,” Astra corrected “the Revolution”

“ _Right_ ,” Indigo sighed “all that bloodshed, hmm,” she sighed and licked her lips “I’m getting hungry just thinking about it”

“You’re disgusting” Astra spat

“And you’re still clinging to those petty, silly little human ‘morals’,” Indigo countered “we are _predators_ , Astra. Accept it”

Astra’s hand suddenly lashed out, wrapping around Indigo’s throat as she pinned the other woman to the tree she was leaning against

“Start talking sense and _maybe_ I won’t stake you this tree and leave you here for the sun” she growled

“Kinky,” Indigo chuckled “all right. You know the rhyme ‘kill nine, remove the sign’.”

Astra stared at her, suddenly counting back in her head. There had been seven victims, eight counting Maxwell Lord “No. That’s just a myth” she hissed

“Hmm…partly,” Indigo sighed “you see, what they don’t tell you at Vampire Orientation, is that the sign has to be passed on to someone else, it doesn’t just go away. Now, imagine that you could choose who would get the sign. Or, even, a _lot_ of someones?”

“You’re talking about building an army,” Astra hissed “who’s behind it?”

“Don’t know,” Indigo shrugged “don’t really care to tell you the truth. I’m just going to sit back and enjoy the show,” she reached out and yanked Astra’s hand off her throat “hope you have some popcorn ready” she hissed as she suddenly dissolved into a cloud mist, slithering away into the night

“Agent Inze!” Astra looked up at the call, quickly making her way back to the crime scene “hey, where’d you go?” Alex asked

“Thought I saw one of my informants back there” Astra replied

“Did you?”

“No,” Astra shook her head “just the mist…nothing more”

******

The body of the late Maxwell Lord had been removed and carefully transported to the morgue. The crime scene had been meticulously combed for clues. And so far Alex and Astra were not getting any farther in coming even close to indentifying a killer or killers

“Damn it!” Astra angrily slammed her hand down on the hood of her rental car

“Hey, easy, easy!” Alex warned “we’ll find out who’s doing this, all right?”

“But _when_?” Astra demanded “and how many more people will die before then?”

“I don’t know” Alex admitted as she leaned against the car. They had both stayed behind long after the crime scene techs from Midvale’s very small CSI lab had left, in hopes of finding something that the techs might have missed. Both women suddenly stiffened at a shuffling sound coming from behind them

“As I was saying,” Astra began, slowly placing a hand on the grip of her gun “we don’t know who the killer is of what their motivations are”

“Right,” Alex nodded, copying her and slowly easing her own gun out of its holster “we don’t” she counted to three on her free hand and then both women spun around to see an old homeless man standing besides the car

“FBI, show us your hands!” Astra ordered. The man let out a strange hiss as he slowly took a step forward “fuck,” Astra hissed “Alex! Move!” she ordered as the man suddenly lunged, moving with an unnatural amount of speed, actually flipping the car aside like a toy as he lunged for Alex…

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Cliffhanger! I'm mean, I know :=)


	5. Child of the Night

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Update time! Enjoy! :=)

******

Alex grunted as she tucked and rolled away from the threat on instinct and training, her body acting long before her brain had time to fully process the new threat. Springing up into a crouch, she drew her gun and aimed it at the man, not quite noticing that he had actually flipped the car like a toy

“Jesus” she whispered as she took in his strange, cat-like gleaming yellow eyes and the sharp fang-like teeth in his mouth as he easily grabbed her gun hand and crushed the semi-automatic like clay, hoisting her up off the ground with frightening ease, growling like some kind of big cat

“Let her go!” past the man’s shoulder, Alex watched as Astra suddenly charged, sweeping the man’s legs out from under him, knocking Alex free, before Astra delivered a hard punch towards his head, her hand making a sizable divot in the earth as he managed to roll out of the way, springing to her feet

“I come for you!” he hissed “my mistress will be very pleased when I bring her your head” he threatened

“Tell her to get in line,” Astra snarled, slamming her shoulder against the overturned car and easily ramming it towards him, pinning him against a sizable oak tree. Fluidly flowing to her full height, she leapt on top of the car, grabbing his head and viciously slamming it _through_ the tree’s truck. Growling, she wrenched his head free from the bark and yanked him forward, bending him forward over the car, tearing up part of the undercarriage and using it to effectively tie him down.

“Who sent you?” she demanded

“No!” he grunted and trashed against the car’s body “I will not betray my mistress!”

“Dawn is in less than two minutes! Tell me or burn!” Astra roared

The man laughed “I gladly burn for my cause, daughter of Inze. Do you?”

Astra snarled in frustration as the first rays of dawn crept up between the trees “Have it your way!” she snarled, leaping up off the car to land beside Alex, grabbing her arm and roughly hauling her to her feet, spinning her to look her square in the eye, her own eyes gleaming cat-like yellow

“ _Run_ ” she hissed, before she suddenly dissolved into a cloud of mist, slithering into the rocks and disappearing. Gasping for breath, Alex stared at the still pinned assailant, watching as smoke began to curl off his clothing as the sun continued to rise

“Enjoy this sunrise, mortal,” he hissed, grimacing as he skin began to blister and burn “it is the last you’ll ever see!” he crowed before he suddenly burst into flames, laughing all the while

Still shaking, Alex ran…

******

Astra reformed beneath the town, in the old sewer lines. Grimacing, she began to slog her way through the muck, pulling out her cell phone as she did

“ _Midvale Sherriff’s Department_ ”

“This is agent Inze, I need to speak to Hank Henshaw, its urgent”

“ _One moment please_ ”

There was a brief pause. Then…

“ _Henshaw_ ”

“It’s Astra,” Astra took an unnecessary breath “we need to talk” she declared…

******

Alex wasn’t sure how she got back home, she didn’t remember getting into her car, or driving in any particular direction. But, the next thing she knew she was sitting in her kitchen, a cup of coffee tightly clutched in her hands.

She jerked, the cup falling from her hands to smash against the tiled floor, as a knock suddenly came at her door

“Alex? You in there?” Lucy called out “you didn’t check in, Hank’s pissed”

Jerking on wobbly legs, Alex shuffled to the door and opened, wincing at the bright sunny day as she looked at Lucy’s concerned face

“Hey, Alex?” Lucy reached out for her, concerned “what the hell happened? You look like…like…I don’t know, but you look terrible”

“I…uh,” Alex mumbled and shuffled aside to let Lucy in “I…saw…something today,” she began “something I can’t explain”

“Like what?” Lucy asked, gently guiding her to the couch

Alex burst out laughing hysterically…

******

The old Midvale Theater had been built in the 1920s, in the economic boom that followed the First World War during the so-called ‘Roaring ‘20s’. Built in the beaux arts style, the theater opened to great fanfare and hosted a variety of events, from vaudeville to the latest moving picture show.

Sadly, just a little over five years after opening, a fire had broken out and gutted a good majority of the building. Although quickly rebuilt and reopened, the onset of the Great Depression and the looming war in Europe soon forced the theater to close its doors permanently as the town—and the nation—turned to more pressing matter across the pond.

Although boarded and shut for years—and later condemned in the ‘60s—the theater had stood the test of time. Despite having been slated for demolition in early-‘90s, the town preservation society had lobbied to stop the wrecking ball, and although successful, they were unable to secure enough funds to properly restore the theater.

And so it sat, boarded and shuttered, dark and empty. The only dramas that played out on its stage now were those of the mice and rats that lived within its walls, and the occasion squatter that broke in every now and then for a quick fix of the latest street drug from National City pushers, but aside from them it was silent and empty. A refuge for things that abhorred the light of day.

Astra currently sat in the front row of the theater, watching the silent stage, a cloth draped over a grand piano, now forever silenced. A lone shaft of sunlight pierced through a crack in the ceiling, just one seat over from Astra’s. Looking around the dead and empty theater, she was briefly tempted to just step into that shaft of light, to let the sun burn her to ash and become one with the dust of that littered the floor, to finally end her centuries-long existence.

But no. Even now, when she had nothing left to live for, she was still afraid to die. Even in a place such as this. She had always had a knack for choosing strange and odd places to inhabit during the daylight hours. In Paris, she’d slept in the Catacombs among the bones of the other dead. During the London Blitz she’d sat side-by-side thousands of Londoners waiting out the German bombs, always keeping to herself in a dark, disused corner of the tunnels.

She’d slept in cellars and tunnels, and all manner of strange and usual places, occasionally finding that her chosen sleeping area was already occupied, forcing her to ‘evict’ the current tenant into the sun, paying no heed to the way they’d blister and burn in the sunlight, only caring about her own survival.

But now…it wasn’t only her own survival that mattered. Now, she could only think about Alex. Now, she would gladly throw herself into the blazing light of the sun if it meant that she could keep Alex safe and unharmed, a desire that she, even her centuries-long life, had never felt before.

And now, for the first time in centuries, she wasn’t sure what to do…


	6. We'll Always Have Whitechapel

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Double update! Enjoy! :=)

******

Alex remained on the couch well until evening. She couldn’t bear to try and explain what she had seen to Lucy, for one thing she couldn’t even explain it herself, and had finally managed to convince Lucy that she was a little shaken up, but fine and that she should go home for the night.

Now alone, Alex couldn’t shake what she had seen out of her head. So, she dove into Jeremiah’s old collection of books. Jeremiah had been obsessed with the supernatural and the occult, and read virtually every book ever written on the subject, from dry psychology papers written by the brightest minds modern medicine had to offer, to old, moldy tomes written by half-mad, half-drunk crackpots.

Alex spent about an hour sorting through Jeremiah’s old books and was left with more questions than answers.

Closing the book before her—a dusty tome entitled _’Myths & Legends of Eastern Europe’_—she leaned back against the couch and made a decision.

She needed to find Astra…

******

Astra remained in the theater long after sunset, almost completely motionless. Anyone who would have come in over those past hours might have thought that she was a junkie who had OD’d, since she did not breathe or have a pulse, were it not for the fact that she was playing Tetris on her phone

 _‘Real-life vampire found, is addicted to Tetris’_ she thought sardonically as she ended the game. Finally stirring into motion, she slowly sat up and looked down. A rather fat and plump rat scurried by her feet, sniffing at her shoes, its natural fear of humans gone as it detected no warmth or heartbeat from her.

With a quiet hiss, Astra’s hand shot out, firmly grabbing the rat and bringing it to her lips…

******

Alex had just finished lacing up her shoes when someone knocked at her door

“Alex? It’s Hank, open up”

Sighing, she stomped over to the door and wrenched it open “Can’t talk right now, Hank,” she began “I’m need to—”

“…find Astra I know,” Hank finished, gently brushing past her to enter the house “might I suggest you hold off on the vampire slaying until you hear what I have to say?”

Alex stared at him “Wha—you—what?”

Hank sighed “This may come as a shock to you, Alex, but…vampires are all too real”

“Wait a minute, wait a minute,” Alex waved her hands “you…how do you know about Astra?” she asked

“I’ve met her before, remember?” Hank chuckled as he sat down on the couch. He sighed, bowing his head; a great weight suddenly seemed to bear down on him “when I first met Astra it was in London, in Whitechapel in 1888”

Alex slowly sank down onto the couch besides him “The Jack the Ripper murders,” she realized “but, wait, that would make you…over one hundred years old”

Hank chuckled “Older actually,” he corrected. He sighed and sobered “when I first encountered Astra in Whitechapel she was feeding off the local prostitutes”

“So…she’s...?” Alex began, her stomach twisting at the thought

Hank shook his head “No. The Ripper was all too Human,” he explained “when I say ‘feeding’ I mean that she was drinking their blood, nothing more,” he smirked “although when I found her I thought that she was behind the killings too, but she convinced me otherwise. In fact if it weren’t for the two of us, the Ripper might have kept killing”

“So, you stopped him?” Alex asked

“ _Her_ ,” Hank corrected “and yes, we did,” he grimaced “she didn’t go down easy, though”

Alex shook her head “So…what are you? Some kind of vampire hunter?”

“Some kind,” Hank nodded. He sighed “vampires aren’t a bunch of soulless monsters, Alex, they retain their memories and emotions after being turned,” he explained “now, unfortunately, a lot of them have become warped and twisted over time. The knowledge that they’re virtually invulnerable, seeing friends and family grow old and die while they remain frozen in time, and the constant bloodlust drives most mad. But, some, like Astra, manage to hold onto their humanity. How? I don’t know, sheer will, I guess,” he sighed “she called me earlier, told me about the attack and what you saw. She wants to talk to you”

Alex found herself nodding “OK” she whispered…

******

Astra looked up at the clatter from nearby, absently dropping the dead rat and wiping at her bloodstained shirt

“How’d you find me?” she asked as two flashlights came bobbing into view. Hank and Alex lit by their dim glow

“Figured you find the gloomiest place in town to nap,” Hank explained “and since the cemetery doesn’t have a mausoleum…”

Astra smirked “Cute,” she muttered “real cute. So, what I can do for Midvale’s finest?”

“You can start by answering some questions” Alex growled

Astra’s smirk widened “Why, of course, Deputy. What did you want to know?”


	7. Bleeding Heart

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Chapter SEVEN! Enjoy! :=)

******

The chandelier flickered on with a crackle and a quiet, incessant buzz, the old bulbs slowly glowing to life despite their age and the years of dust and cobwebs that covered them

“That’s better,” Hank sighed as he came into the theater’s main room “not all of us have night vision” he added to Astra, who merely smirked as she turned back to Alex

“How are you feeling?” she asked gently

“A bit wigged out” Alex answered honestly

Astra smirked “That’s to be expected,” she winced “I wish it didn’t have to be like this,” she admitted “I wish that I was mortal like you”

“It’s fine” Alex dismissed

Astra shook her head “Alex, count the shadows” she instructed gently

“What?”

“The shadows,” Astra “our shadows, count them, please”

“All right,” Alex frowned and looked down at her shadow “one…two….thr—” she stopped. What the hell was up with Astra’s shadow? It seemed to be longer and wider than her own or Hank’s, and the longer she stared at it the more it seemed to….grow, seeming to _draw_ in the surrounding light, snuffing it out. She suddenly jerked back, gasping as a pair of large, bat-like wings suddenly unfurled from the shadow’s back, spread into a wide, twelve foot wingspan.

Gasping and stumbling back, she looked up at Astra, who hadn’t moved at all. Astra bowed her head, giving her a sad smile

“A shadow is a reflection of the soul,” she explained sadly “unless; of course…you don’t have one anyone”

“So…that…that… _thing_ is what you really look like?” Alex asked, pointing at the floor

Astra nodded sadly “I’m not human anymore. I haven’t been since about March of the year 1350”

“What happened?” Alex wondered, amazingly skipping over the fact that Astra was six hundred and sixty-seven years old

Astra smirked “Something far worse than the plague came to my village,” she began “it promised salvation…but delivered only more death”

“A vampire” Hank rumbled

Astra chuckled darkly “The Devil himself, in my opinion,” she sighed and sat back down in one of the theater’s many seats “it came to the village and offered us all salvation from the plague. But at a price: each family had to give up one member to it’s…‘service’,” she grimaced “it wanted my niece originally. But I offered up myself in her place. Allowed that… _beast_ to feed off me, shamelessly fell for its lies that it would spare my niece and my sister from the Black Death. Instead…,” she trailed off “when I woke up, I found myself in a coffin and the rest of the village—my family included—dead, every drop of blood from their bodies gone”

“Oh my god” Alex groaned

“God had nothing to do with it, Alex,” Astra chuckled darkly “I don’t even think there is one,” she sighed again “I fled. I had nothing else to live for. So…I wandered the world. After what happened to my family I couldn’t bring myself to feed on another person, so I refrained from doing so unless it was absolutely necessary, relegating myself to feeding off of animals” she nodded to the pile of dead rats on the floor

“Like in Whitechapel” Alex guessed

Astra nodded, giving Hank a glare as she continued her tragic tale “I became a ghost, a myth, an urban legend. A dark creature that fought on the side of the light. During the First World War I worked as a nurse in the trenches, helping soldiers on both sides of No Man’s Land. By the second World War, I will admit that I did feed off a couple of Nazis, I even killed a few without much remorse”

“Can’t blame you there” Alex muttered

Astra nodded dimly “I’ve kept to myself until now, tried to largely stay out of mortal affairs. But…,” she looked at Alex “I need your help,” she pleaded “these killings, they aren’t just the acts of some maniac. Something is happening, something is _coming_. Something far darker and far more dangerous than me”

“What do you need me to do?” Alex asked

In answer, Astra slowly held up a hand “Help me,” she pleaded “help me to _stop_ it. To stop this senseless death”

Without hesitation, Alex took Astra’s hand, her own curling around Astra’s frighteningly pale and ice-cold hand

“All right” she said simply, finding her heart ache for this woman. She felt for Astra, she truly did, she believed her story, believed that she had tried to save her family and in return had not only lost them anyway, but had been cursed, cursed by something….evil

“Oh…look…isn’t that sweet?”

The trio turned at the voice

“Indigo” Astra growled, flowing to her feet with an unnatural ease and speed

“Hello again, Astra,” the other vampire greeted “I’m here for number nine”

Astra scowled “What happened to not caring about the killings? About sitting back and enjoying the show?” she sneered

Indigo shrugged “I lied” she stated simply. With a growl she barred her fangs and suddenly lunged for Astra…


	8. Blood Fued

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Double update! Enjoy! :=)

******

Alex dove for cover, throwing her arms up over her head and cringing as Astra and the other vampire collided with a row of seats, demolishing them in an explosion of dust and wood splinters

“Come on!” Alex felt Hank grip her arm and haul her upright “move! Move!” he ordered as another explosion of dust burst forth from the demolished seats, a figure flying past to collide with the empty stage, splintering and cracking the boards.

Astra slowly emerged from the row of demolished seats, the dust swirling around her as she slowly marched forward

“You’re getting sloppy, Indigo,” she commented as she marched forward, the other vampire struggling to free herself from the broken and cracked wood “a century ago, you would never have announced your presence like that first”

She stopped suddenly, a look of shock suddenly crossing her face

“ _Alex!!_ _**MOVE!!!!**_ ” she screamed just as the chandler suddenly broke free from the ceiling to crash to the floor in a spectacular spray of glass and crystal, plunging the room into partial darkness, as a portion of the ceiling followed the chandler down as several humanoid figures dropped down into the room.

Alex quickly sat up, wincing as the glass cut and scraped her skin. Drawing her sidearm she took aim and fired at the invaders, the bullets striking home with unerring accuracy, but only seemed to annoy them rather than hurt them

“Fuck!”

A sharp whistle made her duck as an arrow suddenly lodged itself in the chest of one of the vampires, who fell to the ground with a pained growl, writhing just before she crumbled into dust. Looking back in the direction the arrow had come from, Alex stared at the sight of Hank armed with a crossbow taking aim at another vampire and felling that one with ease

“Get the hunter!!” Indigo roared as she finally freed herself “Astra’s pet is _mine!_ ” she lunged for Alex, only for Astra to grab her in a half-nelson and wrench her back, pinning her against the grand piano on the ruined stage, a cord within playing a discordant note as the instrument slid back about two feet from the impact

Growling, Astra wrenched one loose floorboard up and firmly stabbed it down at Indigo’s chest. Indigo let out a loud _shriek_ of pain, writhing and choking as a series of thick black cracks began to spread out from the wound, quickly covering her body and clothes as she suddenly let out a blood-curdling _scream_ before she crumbled into dust.

Staggering back, Astra stumbled off the stage and looked around, the other vampires were gone

“Alex?!” she called out frantically

“She’s gone,” Hank groaned out as he painfully sat up, awkwardly holding his side “they took her…”

******

Alex gasped as she suddenly sat up, awareness returning with painful intensity. She was somewhere dark and cold, the smell of mold and the distant sound of water dripping steadily made her think she was possibly underground

“Welcome, Ms. Danvers”

She looked up at the voice. A woman stood over in the dim light, her dark blonde hair pulled back into a tight bun and her cold ice blue eyes seemed to bore into Alex

“Who are you?” Alex demanded, struggling to sit up she found that she was not chained or restrained in anyway, but her head spun as she tried to stand and so she resorted to simply leaning against the wall of cool, rough stone behind her

“Who am I?” the woman asked, her eyes changed to a familiar cat-like gold “I’m the future, Ms. Danvers. The architect of a new age. The age of shadow”

“You’re her,” Alex realized through the haze of dizziness and the dull ache throbbing throughout her body “the one who turned Astra, aren’t you?”

The woman smirked “Astra was given a chance to be a foot solider for the new regime. Instead she chose to squander her gift on mortals like you. Choosing to save the chattel”

“So. That’s why you took me,” Alex realized “I’m bait”

“You’re very astute, Ms. Danvers,” the vampire nodded “and for that you’ll get to witness the dawn of a new age. An age of shadow and darkness,” she smiled cruelly “enjoy…”

******

“Astra, you’re too weak to go after her right now!” Hank objected as Astra armed herself from the small bag of supplies she’d stashed away in a corner of the theater. Most of the items were simply knives and handguns, since as a vampire herself; she couldn’t handle objects like holy water, garlic, or crosses without injury

“I can’t just leave her to die, Hank!” she snarled “or worse. For her to become like me”

“You think she’s not important to me?” Hank demanded “Astra, I love her as if she’s my own daughter. But we need a plan!”

“I’ve got a plan,” Astra grumbled “I go in, get her out, and burn a bunch of those fuckers at the same time”

“Why do you care?” Hank demanded, grabbing at her arm “you’ve never cared about anyone but yourself for the past century and a half. What’s changed?”

Astra wrenched her arm free of his grip “Maybe I’ve finally found something worth caring about” she muttered as she went back to her bag of tricks

Behind her, Hank smirked “You think this is noble,” he said “you think that by dying in blaze of glory you’ll somehow atone for the death of your family. You’re wrong. They’re deaths are not your fault. There that _thing’s_ fault. That vampire, the one who changed you, that’s the one who carries the blame, not you. You made that deal for a good reason. The _right_ reason. You did it out of love. Not out of…greed, fear, or a desire to be immortal. No, you did it out of love. Now, maybe, just maybe, that puts God on your side. I don’t know. but what I _do_ is that going after Alex like some kind of avenging angel is only going to get yourself killed”

Astra zipped the bag shut and slung it up over her shoulder

“You can’t kill what’s already dead,” she reminded him. She paused, awkwardly offering a hand “thank you,” she said “…for listening to me back in Whitechapel”

“Of course,” Hank sighed, shaking her hand “but, if you’re that dead set on going, then I’m coming with you”

Astra smirked “Wouldn’t bother asking you not to”


	9. Blood Moon Rising

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Update time! Enjoy! :=)

******

Fort Rosita was an old Spanish fort that sat on the coast just outside of town. Like many California communities, Midvale’s past went back to when California was still a part of Mexico.

First built in 1760, the Fort had been plagued by stories of haunting, demonic possessions, and a whole manner of dark and frightening things from the beginning. Local Native American tribes called the area a 'dark place' and had urged the Spanish to build the fort elsewhere. Their protests fell on deaf ears and construction went ahead, and was seemingly cursed from the start. Disease, suicides, murders, all plagued the fort.

Finally, less than a year after construction had been completed, the fort was abandoned. Eventually, the Fort became part of the national parks system after California was annexed by the United States. But, to this day, stories abounded of strange sounds, ghostly figures, and frightening experiences for all who worked or visited the ageing structure.

The car slowly slid to a stop outside the fort

“Well, this is the only place in town big enough to keep that many vampires safe from the sun,” Hank explained as he and Astra got out of the vehicle, both of them appraising the crumbling stone walls. Turing back to the car, Hank pulled out a map and spread it out across the hood “according parks and rec, there are a whole series of tunnels running under this entire area. The Spanish used them as storage originally, but its been rumored that they were also designed as shelters, in case the fort came under siege they could just run down there, shut the door and hopefully hold out until reinforcements arrived”

“How many tunnels are we talking about?” Astra asked, scrutinizing the map

Hank sighed “A lot. Estimates are between a mile and a mile and a half’s worth of tunnels, all crisscrossing and interconnecting. It’s a maze down there and we’ve only got a few hours before sunrise”

Astra frowned “Back at the crime scene, the vampire who attacked us said ‘mistress’ and Indigo was only afraid of one thing…” she trailed off, turning to step towards the fort, reaching out with her mind. She could sense dozens of vampires beneath their feet, hundreds even, many were young, just turned, most were either still confused or too addled by the bloodlust to resist following orders from an older, more experienced vampire. Pushing past that, Astra reached out further, jerking as a familiar mind suddenly lashed out at her own

 _ **I see you, Astra,**_ the mind taunted _**come join us**_

Astra gasped as she wrenched herself free from the link, staggering back

“It’s her,” she grunted out “the one who turned me. Luthor”

“Luthor,” Hank hissed in disbelief “I’ve heard about her. But I always thought she was just some kind of myth or urban legend, the vampire equivalent of the boogieman”

“No,” Astra grunted out “she’s all too real,” she took a steadying, but unnecessary, breath “and she has Alex…”

******

Alex grunted as the vampire led her down a long, dank, dimly-lit corridor. The walls were made of rough cut stone, possibly even hand carved, and there was a feeling of age behind them. Wherever she was, it was old, ancient even

 _‘The Fort’_ she realized suddenly, she was in—or rather _under_ —the old fort down by the cost

“Move” the vampire ordered, giving her a hard shove. The tunnel suddenly opened in a wide, circular chamber carved out of the rock itself, a wide, vaguely circular opening in the ceiling let in a shaft of moonlight, which shone down on a stone alter of some kind. Encircling the alter was a trench or groove of some kind, which was filled with a thick, dark substance

Blood, Alex realized, most likely the blood of the eight people killed

“What is this place?” she asked

“The birthplace of the new age, Ms. Danvers,” the vampire replied as she smoothly crossed the altar. Turning to face Alex, she patted the stone “sit down, Deputy,” she invited “I won’t bite…”

******

Astra grunted as she landed besides Hank, casting her flashlight around the dark and dank environment

“Charming,” she drawled as she took in the empty corridor stretching out before them. A quiet growl from behind her made them both tense “please tell me that was your stomach” she grumbled

“I wish” Hank grumbled as they both slowly turned around, taking note of the several pairs of eyes gleaming gold in the darkness

“Here we go” Astra grumbled. With a roar, she lunged…


	10. The Ninth

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Double update! Enjoy! :=)

******

Alex remained where she was as the vampire continued leaning against the stone altar, her head tilted as if listening to something. Suddenly another vampire hurried into the chamber

“Mistress! The Daylighter! She’s here!” he gasped out

The elder vampire nodded “Yes, I know,” her gaze flickered to Alex “why do you think I haven’t killed this one yet?” she remarked

Alex swallowed. She was right, it was a trap. And Astra it seemed had just walked right into it…

******

Astra grunted as one vampire pinned her to the wall, his hands wrapped around her throat. Snarling, she bared her teeth at the newborn

“We don’t _breathe_ , you idiot!” she thrust her hands at his head, swiftly tearing his head off in a spray of red. Grimacing, she dropped to her feet and took out the next two vampires “Hank!”

“I got ‘em! Go!” Hank called out from somewhere in the darkness, the sound of a metal blade scrapping against stone immediately preceding two screams and the mental sensation of two more vampires crumbing into dust “go! Find Alex!” Hank urged.

Grunting, Astra took off down the corridor at a sprint…

******

“Astra’s late,” the vampire commented “hmm, pity, I would have thought she’d last longer against my newborns,” she smirked at Alex “shall we give her a few more minutes before proceeding?”

“Go to hell” Alex spat

The vampire chuckled “I already have…”

******

Astra slowed to a stop as she reached an intersection in the tunnels. Left or right?

Frowning, she sniffed the air, trying to find Alex’s scent, that unique mix of gunpowder, leather, and something uniquely ‘Alex’ that made Astra’s nonfunctioning heart ache with long repressed desire and need

There! It was faint, but it was there!

Opening her eyes, Astra growled as she sped down the left corridor…

******

“Time’s up,” the vampire snapped her fingers. Two pairs of inhumanely strong hands suddenly grabbed each of Alex’s arms and easily carried her over to the altar, completely immure to her kicks and struggles

“Hmm, you’re a fighter,” the vampire noted as Alex was pinned down on the altar, thick rope binding her hands above her head “good. I like it when they fight back” she hissed.

Suddenly one of the vampires shrieked as a sharp, wooden stake suddenly burst from his chest. Writhing he staggered away, his body swiftly crumbling to dust, as the stake clattered to the stone floor. Alex twisted harder, if she could get free and get a hold of that stake…

“Luthor!” Astra spat as she stepped forward

The vampire turned “You’re late,” she commented “but you’re just in time to see your precious human die” she raised a wicked looking knife high above her head, aiming it at Alex’s heart.

Astra let out an animalistic growl as she slammed into Luthor, knocking her and the knife away. Luthor got to her feet first and easily backhanded Astra across the room

“You’re _weak_ Astra!” she spat as she approached a clearly dazed Astra “still clinging to those precious human morals and ethics! Unable to embrace your true potential!”

“We’ll see about that!” Astra suddenly surged to her feet, head thrown back as she let out a roar. Her skin became unnaturally pale, almost glowing, as she seemed to grow in size, gaining more muscle mass, her clothes melting away as her skin took on a leathery texture. Large talons burst from her fingertips as horns curved from her forehead. Finally, she arched her back, large, twelve foot bat-like wings suddenly bursting from her back, unfurling to their full length as she let out an ear-splitting roar.

All traces of humanity were gone. All that was left in Astra’s place was the beast within as she swung out at Luthor, who quickly sidestepped, laughing triumphantly as she too changed into a similar form, the two demonic creatures lunging and colliding with each other in mid-air.

Twisting and writhing in her bonds, Alex could only watch the strange brawl taking place. It seemed that, despite her ferocity, Astra seemed to be losing the fight, as Luthor—distinguished by her grey, rock-like skin and her blonde hair (the only remaining trace of either creature’s humanity)—gained the upper hand, easily pinning Astra to the ground

“ _ **Still weak!**_ ” she spat, her voice an inhuman growl “ _ **still bound by your human fears!!**_ ” she drew back a massive, cinder block-sized fist and slammed Astra’s head into the ground “ _ **today will be humanity’s last sunrise! Today is the birth of our dominion! No longer will we hide in the shadows! No longer will we be content to feed in the darkness!**_ ”

She drew back her fist again, only for Astra to catch it this time

“ _ **If you’re going to kill someone, just kill them! Don’t bother gloating about it!**_ ” Astra growled. Luthor suddenly let out a pained shriek as a now-freed Alex leapt on her back and plunged the stake down, which gave Astra enough of a distraction to throw the other vampire off.

Stumbling, both creatures resumed their human forms, fangs barred

“How does it feel?” Astra asked as she marched forwards “to have all that blood flowing in your veins? The blood of dozens of people,” she changed forms again and easily lifted a still-weak Luthor up by her throat and pinned her to the altar in Alex’s place “ _ **more than enough blood for the ritual**_ ” she hissed. She drew back her hand and suddenly thrust her talons into Luthor’s chest.

Luthor gagged and thrashed as her blood seemed to swirl out of her body as glowing red mist, a strong howling sound filled the air as Luthor began screaming

“What did you do?!” Alex demanded as she stumbled over to a still transformed Astra

“ _ **I’m finishing what she started,**_ ” she growled “ _ **kill nine, remove the sign**_ ” she explained

“The sign, you mean the curse of being a vampire?” Alex demanded as the wind picked, whipping around them in a swirling vortex, the air suddenly charged with static electricity

Astra bared her teeth at Alex in a predatory smile “ _ **No one says that the victims all have to be human**_ ” she chuckled darkly as Luthor spasmed a final time. There was a loud clap of thunder and then everything became eerily still.

Groaning, Astra resumed her human form with some difficulty, sagging against Alex

“Is…is it over?” Alex asked

Looking back towards the altar they found in Luthor’s place nothing but a pile of ashes

Alex sighed in relief just before Astra suddenly gasped in pain and doubled over

“Astra!” Alex dove to catch her “Astra? What is it? What’s wrong?”

“Don’t know,” Astra groaned “but I was right next to her when the ritual started” she groaned and doubled over again, falling to her knees

“Well, can we fix it somehow?” Alex demanded “stop it somehow?” as a shimmering white light pulsed under Astra’s skin. With a sharp cry she arched her back, collapsing to the ground “no, no, stay with me! Astra! Stay with me!” Alex demanded as Astra writhed on the ground in clear pain

“Alex,” she panted out as the seizure seemed to stop for the moment “it’s all right,” she breathed “six hundred and sixty seven years of life is more than enough”

“No, it’s not!” Alex raged, giving her a hard shake “you stay with me, Astra!”

Astra slowly turned to look at her “Why?” she asked

Alex shook her head, tears running down her face “Because,” she whispered “I don’t know…just…because”

“Because why?” Astra asked softly, reaching up to cup Alex’s face, her thumb brushing against Alex’s cheekbone

“Because…I think I love you” Alex whispered tearfully

Astra smiled softly, even as the brilliant white glow reappeared, more intense than before “Oh, Alex," she breathed "stay with me?” she requested softly

Alex gripped her hand, squeezing tightly, as Astra burst into a brilliant white flame, the intensity quickly overcoming Alex…

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Don't worry, folks, this isn't the end :=)


	11. By the Dawn's Early Light...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Triple update! The final chapter! Enjoy! :=)

******

Alex slowly came back to awareness to the sound of a piano. Sitting up, she found that she was back in the Midvale Theater, a threadbare blanket had been wrapped around her. Looking around she found that she was on the stage, the floorboards still splintered and broken from Astra’s brawl with the other vampire.

Astra!

Alex bolted to her feet, stopping at the sight of Astra at the piano, her fingers dancing across the keys, playing a slow waltz with an expert skill. Suddenly hitting a series of sour notes, she yanked her hands back from the instrument as if burnt

“Never could get that part right,” she remarked suddenly, turning to smile at Alex “you’re awake. Good, you had Hank and I worried there” and as she said this Alex suddenly noticed it, noticed what was wrong with the whole picture

Astra was sitting in the sunlight.

A brilliant shaft of sunlight from a hole in the ceiling shone down directly onto the piano and Astra

“You’re in the sun” Alex mumbled, slowly approaching the other woman

“Noticed that did you?” Astra chuckled, turning back to the keys and beginning to play again

“But…how?” Alex asked as she sank down next to Astra on the seat. Astra stopped playing and turned to face Alex

“Give me your hand” she requested softly. Holding out a hand, Alex watched as Astra placed her hand over her heart

And that was when Alex felt it. A heartbeat. Strong and steady.

Alex slowly withdrew her hand and stared at Astra

“How?” she asked

Astra smirked “I don’t know,” she said “because that ritual shouldn’t have worked on me, it only works on the vampire who did the killings, i.e. Luthor. So, I shouldn’t have been affected by it”

“But…you’re,” Alex gestured to her form “you’re…alive, you have a heartbeat. So…”

Astra smirked “Maybe I have God on my side,” she remarked. She reached out and cupped Alex’s cheek; smiling softly “you said something to me, back in that cavern” she began

“Oh,” Alex felt her face heat up “right”

Astra chuckled “I just thought you’d like to know that I share the sentiment” she remarked

Alex blinked “You, you do?” she asked

“I do” Astra nodded

“Then…can I kiss you?” Alex asked hesitantly

“I really wish you would” Astra chuckled

Grinning, Alex leaned in and captured Astra’s lips with her own…

**END**

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And that's it! We're done! The end of my General Danvers Halloween Spectacular! (TM). I want to thank everyone who commented and supported this one and I hope you'll all stay with me for the rest of my GD fics, including the next part of What we are, and my original works! :=)
> 
> Thanks a lot!
> 
> \--AXEe :=)

**Author's Note:**

> Let me know what you thought :=)


End file.
